In many glassware forming machines, parisons of glass which have been moulded either by a blowing or by a pressing operation are placed in the mould cavity and air is blown into them to cause them to expand and take up the shape of the mould cavity. To supply the air to the parison, a blow head which closes the top of the mould cavity has a tube associated with it which is moved with the blow head and enters the parison so that air can be blown through the tube into the parison. The blow head and the tube are moved between an operative position in which the blow head closes the moulding cavity and the tube extends into the parison and an out-of-the-way position in which the glassware article can be removed from the mould cavity and a further parison introduced into the mould cavity. In many existing glassware forming machines, the movement of the blow head and the tube is achieved by a combination of vertical and rotary motion.
This combination of motions requires a complicated mechanism to ensure speed of movement and to cushion any impact between the blow head and the parison and/or the mould, cushioning of this impact being necessary to prevent damage occurring. Furthermore, the mechanism employed for cushioning this impact requires complicated adjustment when the size of the mould is to be changed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved blow head supporting and moving mechanism of a glassware forming machine in which any impact between the blow head and parison is cushioned by means which does not require adjustment when the size of the mould is to be changed.